Long Gone
by jasderoanddavid5012
Summary: A strange ability and an unfortunate event leads Shun and Hyoga to be adopted by creatures of the night: Shun by Werewolves and Hyoga by Vampires. They are separated from their friends and families for nine years, and their friends Ikki, Seiya and Shiryu become Undead Hunters and bring strange news: the need for an alliance of Humans, Vampires, and Werewolves to face dark magic.
1. The Boy Who Talks To Wolves

**OK, so this is just some random fan fiction I apparently had the inspiration for in class. I decided to start writing it because it's just so strange. There are other Vampire/Werewolf love stories about Saint Seiya, but not one like this...I hope. Anyway, this story is going to hopefully wow you and make you want to read more!**

Chapter One: The Boy Who Talks To Wolves

_Shun hadn't meant to do it, and neither had Hyoga. They were always together, because somehow the blonde haired boy had managed to get the timid greenette to come out of his shell. They were laughing together and playing. Shun tripped and hit Hyoga as he fell, causing the boy to stumble a step forward. There was a loud crunch and Shun felt something sharp enter his hands._

_They had broken a ceramic toy. That was it. It was something so insignificant now that had seemed so important then. Shun started to cry, because though he was upset about breaking his older brother's favorite toy, he had also hurt himself. No one knew why, but something had happened early on in his life that had made him terrified of seeing blood, and his hands were covered in it. He had been such a small and pretty boy, and always a target of the predators that lurked in the shadows. Because of that, his mother and father tried to keep him away from danger as much as possible. And Hyoga's parents did the same for him. For some reason, the two boys seemed to attract the attention of the undead: Shun with Werewolves, and Hyoga with Vampires. But this day they had miscalculated. This was the day when everything had changed and seven years of grief and anger had followed._

_Shun's older brother Ikki had showed up then with his friends Shiryu and Seiya, to find their toy broken. Hyoga was worried about Shun and trying to calm him, but the other three boys were so upset that they hadn't noticed that Shun was hurt and terrified. It was impossible after all these years to decipher what they had said to the two boys, but their words were in anger. They hadn't meant all the things they had said, and they certainly never would have made Shun cry even more if they had known what would happen. But the one thing he remembered very clearly was that Ikki had said that he hated Shun. _

_The two boys were hurt, and fled deep into the forest just outside of town. They paid no heed that they had wondered into the place that they had been forbidden to go. They only wanted to escape. Shun was hurt by Ikki's words and terrified of the blood. His hands stung from going untreated. But he knew that eventually Ikki would calm down and see the blood and want to make it up to them. Shun had just decided to turn back and go home when Hyoga had turned on him. Hyoga blamed Shun for it and also said hateful things to the boy. It was an accident and he knew it, but he was hurt and didn't want to be blamed for it. He was also hurt about what their friends had said to him. Then he turned and left the young boy alone in the forest. It was the worst mistake that Hyoga had ever made. He could defend himself against the creatures that hunted him. He could hide. But Shun couldn't. Werewolves didn't rely on their sight as much as Vampires did._

_Shun sobbed, alone and very frightened on the forest floor. He didn't want to go home now. He didn't want to see Ikki or anyone else because the one person he had trusted would understand him above all others had just abandoned him. How could Ikki and his friends understand what it was like to be trapped inside until a day when his parents weren't worried if he would die or not? Hyoga was the only one. The boy eventually stopped crying. He didn't have any more tears to spare. He had realized where he was and that the sun was much farther in the sky than it had been. Scared, he started to make his way back to the house, when he came upon the scene that changed his life forever._

_He was in the middle of a territorial battle between Werewolves and Vampires. It happened quite often around here, and Shun knew that he was in a bad situation. No one ever came back from something like this. There was always a massacre, and some of the bodies were never found. Shun shuddered and tried to escape, but found that he was hemmed in on every side by fighting monsters. Most of them ignored him, but every now and then, an angry Vampire or Werewolf tried to attack him. Only sheer dumb luck and swiftness kept him from dying. _

_But sooner or later he knew he would die. It was only a matter of time. He knew it was. These creatures were merciless hunters of the living creatures that surrounded them. There were several villagers trapped in the battle, around a dozen. They were all terrified they were going to die, but none of them were any younger than twenty or so. When they saw they seven year old child they felt their hearts go out to him. They knew they were going to die, but more than anything else, they wanted him to live. Shun was terrified of the blood and unable to escape from it now. It was everywhere, but the villagers tried their best to encourage him on and protect him._

_But they too were falling one by one. They wouldn't last long. The last one was a young first time mother. She saw her own child in him, and her instincts took over. This was not her child, but she wanted to protect him none the less. Dying from a wound a Vampire had given her, she ran to him and pulled him to the ground. Then, she told him to be still and quiet and not to move until help came. She laid herself on top of the boy, praying that her own blood would mask his scent and convince the creatures that he was dead._

_Hours passed, and Shun realized that the woman had died. He felt sadness and fear welling up inside of him at the same time. But he dared not move. The battle was still raging, and creatures were falling. But neither side was giving up. They were not going to back down. The village had started to notice now too. Shun knew the drill. They would all gather and then they would count up who wasn't there. Those families of the missing, would then be taken somewhere to mourn quietly. No one simply went away for a few hours and didn't come back until later with a battle waging. Then again, no one ever usually just wondered into a battle. They were usually dragged in by the creatures, for sport. Shun suddenly felt very numb._

_He didn't care about the blood any more. He didn't care about the dying people and even the thought that he would die. He could only remember the day's events. Ikki had said he hated him. And he believed it. He was always a burden for everyone. They were always protecting him and he couldn't do anything to help. He was weak. Yes, his family and friends would mourn him. But probably not for long. They would be free of his burden at last. Ikki and his friends would never have to worry about his mother telling them they had to play with him. They wouldn't have to worry where he was or what he was doing or if he was going to get hurt. He would be gone and they could just move on and forget about him. It would be better if he was finally gone._

_Slowly, silence began to fall, but even then, Shun had no hope of surviving. In a way, he was almost hoping that he didn't survive. He couldn't stand the thought of being such a burden any longer. But it seemed that the Werewolves had won. The injured were retrieved and the two sides retreated. But Shun wasn't alone. He knew that some Werewolves and Vampires would remain behind at the battle field for up to three days. No one was allowed to enter until the fourth day, when everything had finally died down. And there was a Werewolf here._

_She was a large silver female. It was strange how Shun could tell, but he just could. She had pretty golden eyes. Her sleek muzzle was on the ground, scenting for something. She could only have been an Alpha female. She was too large -about the size of a battle tank to the shoulder- to be anything else. Slowly she drew closer, sniffing the ground as she went. She paused inches in front of him, and Shun began to tremble. He felt fear, truly felt fear for the first time. She was going to kill him, he knew it. She snarled and shoved the woman's body away with her nose. Shun looked up at her in terror, his little body quaking furiously as he waited. He didn't try to run. She could out run him easily. He didn't try to scream. What good would it do? He only sat there, his belly still pressed to the ground. Then he curled up into a ball and despite himself, began to sob._

_She should have killed him there. That was what they were supposed to do. Her lips pulled back in preparation to strike down the miserable cur. But she couldn't. He was such a pretty human really, and small. He was terrified of her, and she didn't like it. His cries were too much like a young Werewolf pup's for her to ignore. He was just a pup himself. She had lost her own litter of pups to a group of humans not so long ago, and the pain still lingered in her heart. She had swore to kill any human she found, but she couldn't bring herself to strike him. Humans had pups too, and this one was scared. She wondered if her pups had been as frightened as he was now when they met with the humans. That thought destroyed all of her resistance. She leaned down and gently licked the child's shoulder._

_He froze, whether in fear or disbelief, she wasn't sure. Then slowly he turned his eyes back to her. They were a pretty color, like the blue of a new born pup. His hair was green and feathered lightly to rest on his shoulders. Overall he was a very attractive young human. She could not speak the same language as he could, but she tried her best to convey that she wouldn't hurt him. He didn't seem to understand her, but she knew that he would learn. She had decided that she couldn't leave him to become bait for the Vampires. She would care for him. Her purpose had been only revenge, but she felt a new purpose when she looked at the boy. Very gently, like a mother wolf would pick up her pup, she scooped the child up into her large and powerful jaws and walked away with him there. He froze and remained still. Good, at least he knew not to struggle in between her fangs._

* * *

Shun opened his eyes and looked towards the ceiling. How long had it been since he had last had that dream? He loathed to remember it. When he did, he always felt the sting of what he had lost and what had been said. But he had been raised as a Werewolf now. He couldn't simply return to human society because he no longer acted as human as he once had. His Mother had raised him to be a strong Werewolf, though technically he could never be one. You had to be born one. A human could be turned into a Vampire though.

So Shun had been raised by Sakura, the Alpha female of the pack, and her mate, the Alpha male, Kakashi. They had taught him the language of the packs, one of no words but signals, and they had raised him to be a fierce hunter, though one that was strange for a pack of Werewolves. They were very proud of him, and in the pack he was treated well and respected. If he had been adopted by any other female, he would have been killed within minutes. Only the Alpha pair could have pups. Werewolves lived just as long as humans, and in Werewolf years he was still a pup. Until he turned Twenty, about four years from now, he would be treated as such. And because of that he was jealously guarded in the pack. Pups were always protected for a long time in the pack. None of the Werewolves would let trouble befall him, and if he wanted something, one of them would be there to give it to him in an instant.

Most humans thought that Werewolves were merciless killers. But that wasn't true. They avoided humans because humans hunted them. They only killed humans when necessary and most of the time they let them go. They had a very complex hierarchy, and Shun had somehow found himself on the top. Also, people tended to believe that Werewolves hated weakness of any kind. But that also wasn't true. The Werewolves had many different personalities, though on the battle field weaknesses seemed to disappear. The Werewolves loved Shun's easy going personality and the way he could smile and make then all feel better. To them, Shun was just another Werewolf. And humans thought that Werewolves were humans that could change into wolves. But they weren't. They were always wolves. His Mother was close behind him, and she had awoken when he had. She could always tell when he was upset. She whined at him gently to let him know she wanted his attention, and he turned his eyes to her.

"_What is it my son?" _She asked in the language of the pack. Shun looked away as he began to reply. The Werewolves by now had all memorized his strange version of their language.

"_I was just dreaming of my past again."_ he assured her. _"It's nothing to be worried about."_

"_You miss them."_ she said, whining and licking his face gently with the tip of her tongue. _"I know you do. I can see it in your eyes. I'm sorry to cause you such distress, but it was for your own good. I couldn't leave you there to let the barbarians find you." _That was the Werewolf's word for Vampires. They called them barbarians.

"_I know Mother."_ he replied. _"And I know you've been protecting me for all of these years."_

"_I've thought about many times sending you back to your own kind, but I can never manage it. I can't lose you to them too." _She said, her lips pulling back into a snarl at the thought. _"I know it would be better if you were with your own people, but you're far to young to let out of my sight. And besides Shun, I love you too much to let you go."_

"_I would rather stay in the pack." _Shun said. _"I wouldn't know how to be human again. And I can't bring myself to face the past. I can't take the chance that any of them might have meant what they said. I've tried to tell myself that my friends and my brother didn't mean it, but I can't convince myself. They were hurt, and I never seemed to do any good. I was weak. At least here, I can be of some use. There I was always a burden. I think it's better now that they think I'm gone. They won't have to worry about me. And my brother and my friends can go on with their lives."_

"_How can you say that Shun?" _His Mother asked. _"You've told me all of these fond stories about them, and about your life. I know for sure that they didn't mean what they said, and that they miss you. They have to. You're too sweet to not miss. They've probably been mourning you for all of these nine years. Your family has to be in a lot of pain, because they feel like they finally let you out of their sights and you got hurt. And if anything, your friends and your brother feel like it's their fault. You're gone and the reason is because they hurt you enough to make you leave. It was their job to watch you and they failed. They must be in a lot of pain Shun. Why can't you see that? You're hurt badly. I can see it day by day. You feel like your own short comings are what made them turn on you. An accident is an accident, and pups will be pups. They have forgiven you, but not themselves. You have forgiven them, but not yourself. The cycle goes two ways, always. Didn't I teach you this?"_

"_Yes you did Mother." _Shun replied. She gently licked his face again and then stood. He sat up and waited for her as she stretched. It was time for the pack to rise.

"_Come along then." _She said. _"Your Father must be ready to go. The hunt starts today. You're still too young to participate in it, but there will be a young female here to watch you. You remember Hinata don't you?"_

"_Yes I do." _Shun replied.

"_Good. The rest of us will be out in the forest trying to catch enough deer to feed the pack. You be good now, and mind her won't you?"_

"_Yes Mother."_

"_Good boy. Now hold still." _Sakura said. She reached down and scooped him up into her jaws. He remained still. He was still considered a pup, and being a rather small human boy she could still easily carry him. No one in the pack looked down on it. If the pup was still small enough to be carried by his Mother then he would be. It was as simple as that. He had grown used to it.

She began to walk out of the cavern they were in and into the main cavern of the cave where all of the Werewolves would be gathered. Shun sat there limply between her jaws, thinking over his strange turn of events. In human years, he would be a young adult and becoming increasingly independent from his parents. But here, he couldn't get out of the sight of any of the Werewolves. He had trained and learned to be a hunter, and he was good too, but he was too young to go on an official hunt. He had grown now, to age sixteen, and he was still strangely beautiful for a young man. His body was still small for a person his age, but his voice had deepened a little and he had grown taller. Even with all of the working out he did with the Werewolves, he was still thin and didn't seem to have much muscle, though he was undeniably strong.

In the main cavern Werewolves of all sizes were gathered in a ring surrounding Kakashi. Kakashi was an Alpha male that was even taller than Sakura, with black fur and dark storm gray eyes. He wagged his tail a little at his mate as she began to walk through the circle of Werewolves, who parted to let her past. She stopped by his side and laid down, dropping Shun gently onto her front paws. Kakashi licked her muzzle once and then licked Shun's face gently. The gathered Werewolves were talking excitedly to each other, but fell silent as Kakashi began to talk.

Shun couldn't tell what he was saying since he wasn't looking at him, but he did know when the other Werewolves growled in appreciation. His Mother watched his Father carefully, listening to his every word. Shun was ignoring him, because he was expected to. Then however, his Mother let out a growl to get everyone's attention. Shun turned his eyes back to her.

"_I know you're probably worried about Shun," _She said. _"but don't worry. I've seen no human hunters to threaten our pack, so we'll only leave him with one Wolf. She is old enough now to care for my young while I am gone, and she has already proven that she is a resourceful young Werewolf. Hinata, step forward."_

The pretty young she-wolf stepped forward. She was a smaller Werewolf, but still large enough that she could pick Shun up between her jaws. Her eyes were a deep emerald green, and her fur was a cinnamon color speckled with black and gray and brown. She seemed surprised but excited to have been chosen by the Alpha female with the great honor to watch over her pup. She wagged her tail gently and whined up at Shun's Mother.

"_I will make sure that nothing happens to him." _Hinata said.

The pack made it's last preparations to leave and Shun slid off of his Mother's paws. Hinata gently licked his face and whined to him gently. He turned to look at his Mother.

"_Be good Shun." _His Mother said. _"We'll be back soon."_

"_Yes Mother." _Shun replied. His Father licked his face gently.

"_Ah, my little warrior." _his Father said. _"Be strong my son. We'll see you soon."_

"_Yes Father." _

At last, the pack turned to leave, and everyone left him and Hinata alone. The female Werewolf wagged her tail and bowed down into the playing position. He smiled at her gently when she did.

"_Just because I have to watch you doesn't mean we can't have fun." _She said. _"Tell me if you want to do something. You're such an easy pup to watch. You never get into any trouble. It makes my job easier."_

"_I don't really feel like doing anything." _he said. _"It's nothing really. I just feel lazy today I guess."_

"_That's fine. Just make sure that you're not bored OK?" _Hinata asked. _"I think your Mother would..." _she suddenly stopped talking and her ears went up. Her nose began to twitch violently and she began to tremble.

"_What's wrong?" _he asked. He knew that her instincts, even now, far surpassed his.

"_Hush Shun." _she said. _"Someone's outside."_

"_Humans?" _Shun asked. He found it a little strange that he no longer really thought of himself as one. Hinata suddenly snarled and stood, her hackles raising.

"_No! Undead Hunters!" _She snarled. Shun gasped. He knew that if they found them here they would kill her and take him, if they didn't see him as a threat. Hinata snarled, and then she quickly reached down and grabbed him in between her jaws. He gasped. She was a little rougher than she would have normally been, but she was scared and she knew that she had to protect him. He was a pup from her pack. Shun remained still as she turned and ran as quickly as she could without hurting him in between her strong jaws. His Mother hadn't seen the Undead Hunters, because they had been hiding and waiting for the pack to leave. It was a strategy they had used before. They always came in to kill the pups and keep the pack from getting larger. She dropped Shun down behind her as she came into a room and turned to snarl at the approaching Hunters.

"_I'll kill you if you try to touch him!" _She snarled even though she knew they couldn't hear her.

They were young Hunters, and there was only two of them. Shun felt as if his stomach had just been kicked. It was impossible wasn't it? One was tall, broad shouldered and seemed tan. His hair was a deep blue color and he seemed to be full of muscle. Shun recognized him as his older brother Ikki. The other was also a familiar face. He wasn't as muscled as Ikki, but he was still taller and had broader shoulders than Shun. His hair was brown and his eyes were also a gentle brown. It was Ikki's friend Seiya. They seemed nervous to see the large Werewolf, and watched her nervously.

"I didn't think they'd actually be in here." Seiya said. "You said you wanted to come look for Shun, but it looks like they actually have a pup here."

"Wait..." Ikki said. "I think someone's behind her..."

"A pup?" Seiya asked.

"No a human." Ikki said.

"What?" Seiya gasped, trying to see him too. Shun quickly hid so that they couldn't see his face. "A Werewolf protecting a human?"

"Hey, it's OK." Ikki said. "Come on out here. We won't hurt you. Don't be scared."

"I'm not scared of you Ikki." Shun said quietly. Both of them froze when he said the older boy's name. "I just don't know how to react after seeing you after all this time..." Hinata's snarl disappeared somewhat when she heard him speak. She could not understand his language, but she could tell that he wasn't afraid of these people, and that he knew them.

"Who are you?" Ikki asked. Slowly Shun looked around the Werewolf's legs and met his eyes. Both young men gasped. They were so much older than he remembered them, and more handsome. He wondered how they thought he had changed. They of course were shocked to see him, but they were glad to see him alive too. Both of them were stunned at how beautiful he was. The years could not have matured him into a more wonderful young man than they could have imagined.

"S-shun?" Seiya gasped.

They were suddenly cut off as Kakashi burst into the cavern, snarling angrily. Sakura was close behind. The two young men jumped suddenly and turned to face them. But Shun ran forward to get their attention.

"_Shun, get out of the way." _His Father growled. _"I'm going to destroy them."_

"_Did they hurt you?"_ His Mother asked with a snarl. Ikki and Shun didn't seem to know what to do.

"_No." _Shun said. _"They're Seiya and Ikki. You remember them, I told you about them. They came in here to look for me. I don't think they mean any harm." _Both Werewolves paused, their lips lowering a bit and their snarls disappearing. They cocked their heads as they looked at him, telling him that they did remember, and they somewhat trusted his judgment. Ikki and Seiya were stunned. They had heard of people learning to speak to Werewolves, but never to this extent. Shun watched his Mother and Father for a moment.

"_Alright."_ his Father snarled. "_You may speak to them. But be quick about it. I don't want their hunter stench in here for long."_ Shun nodded and turned to look at them. He smiled at them.

"Sorry." He said. "They tend to be overprotective of me."

"W-what happened?" Seiya asked. "We thought you were dead!"

"Well, uh." Shun said. "I was stuck out in that battle. But Sakura," he motioned to her "the Alpha female, decided to adopt me. I've been living with Werewolves for nine years. And the strange thing is, they're nothing like I thought they were."

"She adopted you? Why?" Ikki asked.

"Her pups." Shun said. "They were killed by a group of humans because they thought it would be fun. When she saw me, she was reminded of her pups, so she took me in."

"I've never heard of that happening..." Seiya said. But neither of them would meet his eyes. Shun was reminded of what Sakura had said this morning about them. She was right. They felt bad about what had happened, and they blamed themselves. Shun smiled a little at them.

"It's good to see you again. I've missed you. But it's hard to get away for long with all of these Werewolves. The pack is at least a thousand strong."

"Do you know where Hyoga is?" Seiya suddenly asked.

"Hyoga? No." Shun said. "Why?"

"Hmm..." Seiya said. "Then maybe Shiryu was right and he is with Vampires..."

"He never came home either?" Shun asked. He knew that his family must be in pain, like his must be.

"No."Ikki said. "We thought you were both dead, but we heard that you were still alive. So we had to come to see. We became Undead Hunters to try and find you."

"Really?"Shun asked quietly.

"Of course." Seiya said. "We missed you. We all did. I think everyone will be relieved to learn that you're alright. Especially your parents. Shiryu's trying to find Hyoga."

"But we're glad we found you..." Ikki said. "Especially now that we know where you are."

"Why?" Shun asked. "What's going on?"

"Shun..." Ikki said. "The council that guides the Undead Hunters has asked us to form alliances with Werewolves and Vampires."

"Why?" Shun asked.

"There's someone using dark magic. They're threatening humans that much, and Vampires and Werewolves as well. But the thing is...we can't talk to Werewolves..."

"I-I'll talk to them..." Shun said. He turned to look at his Mother and Father. They could tell instantly that he was nervous. _"Mother, Father, there's something you should know..."_

**So that's the first chapter. I will admit, that the first part of the Chapter kind of made me sad, and it made me want to cry. Also, the chapter kind of went fast. But I needed to add some sort of story line into this. Next chapter Hyoga will be the main character and we'll learn his story. Then I'll actually start the main part of the story line. I wonder how the villagers will react when I bring Shun and all of his Werewolf buddies into town...**

**Lol I hope you enjoyed and you will continue to support my writing!**


	2. The Boy Who Walks With Vampires

**Shout out to queen of beyblade! She was the first person to comment on this story and she seems to like it, so I would like to thank her! This chapter is where we get Hyoga's side of the story, and what the Vampires are like and think of the Werewolves. We'll also see Shiryu after nine years, though we really hadn't seen him in this story before... and we'll meet a few other characters that I failed to mention in the first chapter but weren't really that important to the story at that point.**

**So anyway, I hope you enjoy because this story is about to get stranger!**

Chapter Two: The Boy Who Walks With Vampires

_Hyoga finally paused after a while in the forest, breathing heavily. He had been running for a while, and now that he was alone he suddenly felt very foolish. It wasn't really Shun's fault. It was an accident. And now he felt completely horrible. He had said some rather nasty things to the boy. He didn't mean any of them of course, but they had slipped out. He had made Shun cry, something he had always dreaded doing. The boy was just too pretty to be crying. It broke his heart. He wanted to make it up to the boy..._

_He froze. He had finally realized where he was. He wasn't blind with anger any more. He was often blind with anger. It was just in his personality. He didn't mean to be. He was in the forest, and that could only mean that Shun was too. He suddenly felt very afraid. But he wasn't scared for himself. He was scared for sweet little Shun. He couldn't just lie down and hide from Werewolves. They were everywhere. They could see in darkness and smell many things. He turned and began to run back the way he had come. He just had to see if Shun was alright._

_He knew something was deadly wrong the moment he heard nothing in the forest. It was deadly quiet. Too quiet. It made a feeling of dread settle into Hyoga's stomach. The creatures of the forest only fell silent for one reason: there were deadly predators nearby. Suddenly unsure of what to do, the boy climbed up the first tree he could find and hid there. He wasn't a moment too soon._

_Seconds later, an army passed. It was unlike one he had ever seen. An entire clan of Vampires passed beneath him, marching as if to war. They probably were. Werewolves and Vampires were always fighting over territory here. And his village was always caught in the middle of it. He wondered sadly who was going to die today. But he didn't dare move, not with all of these Vampires. He didn't want to be found. Pure instinct and a learned terror of the beasts made him wait silently as they passed._

_A few of the Vampires paused beneath his tree for a moment, as if they sensed him there. But they never lingered long. They were on the war path. They couldn't wait for the Werewolves to beat them to the battlefield. But one lingered longer than most. She was a beautiful woman and looked to be about twenty, though Hyoga knew better. Vampires could live for centuries. She looked up towards him, and Hyoga froze. But she didn't seem to see him, though she gave the tree a sad look. Hyoga almost wondered for a moment what she was thinking. Then he stopped himself. He shouldn't wonder things like that. She wasn't human anymore. She was a remorseless assassin. She too passed on, and Hyoga remained hidden._

_Even after the last of them had passed, Hyoga remained where he was. He wouldn't dare move until he was sure that he was safe. Then he winced as he heard the battle begin. He was scared and exhausted by the day's events. But he was still worried about Shun. He prayed that the boy would be alright. But he had to rest. Perhaps he could just close his eyes for a moment..._

_Hyoga hadn't remembered falling asleep, but he knew when he had woke up. He shot up quickly, looking around. What had happened? There was no sound. Hyoga felt sadness at the thought. That could only be because the battle was over. How long had he slept then? He was so exhausted that he had fallen asleep, even with the battle waging, and only when it had fallen silent had he awoken, startled by the sudden lack of sound rather than the sound itself._

_Slowly, he slid down the tree to the ground. He knew he should remain hiding and survive, but he couldn't bring himself to. He had to know if Shun had gotten mixed up in that battle. He knew that this was dangerous. If there were still Werewolves or Vampires around then he could die, but he was more worried about Shun. He crept slowly over to the battlefield, watching for any signs of the creatures. But there was none. _

_His heart grew heavy as he finally saw it. There were about a dozen bodies, none of which were moving. Then he felt very cold. Underneath one of them was a small head of green hair. _

_Hyoga stumbled backwards suddenly, tears forming in his eyes. It couldn't be true could it? Shun couldn't be dead. It seemed too impossible. The boy had been laughing this morning...right...he had been laughing. Hyoga began to tremble, something he had never done. He couldn't believe that Shun was dead. He didn't want to believe it. He had said such horrible things to him and made him cry...and now he would never be able to make it up to him. He had betrayed Shun, and it hurt. It hurt more than any wound he had received from playing too roughly or even from his sometimes abusive father. Now he finally knew sorrow. And he couldn't stand the choked pain he felt inside of his chest._

_Hyoga had never had a good relationship with anyone. His mother cared for him and tried to make him feel loved, but he always felt like a burden. He wasn't a good boy like Shun. He didn't stay where he was told. His father was scared of his ability to attract Vampires. Hyoga didn't blame him. He understood why. He had grown up in a town where Vampires and Werewolves really ruled, by the fang. His father loved him, but sometimes when he got drunk he hit him. Hyoga had grown used to it, and didn't blame his father. Though he did resent him a little for letting himself get out of hand. Hyoga was very grown up for a seven year old, though he felt bad for that too._

_He tried to imagine his family. They had always seemed so happy. Now they would be crying. He knew. And so would Shun's family and their friends. They would think that Hyoga was dead. But Hyoga felt dead. Why should he return home when Shun never would? Why should he survive when he had never been anything but a burden to everyone in the village? Ikki, Seiya and Shiryu could just replace the toy and never worry about them breaking it. They wouldn't have to worry about watching them when they'd rather be playing because there would be nothing to watch. Except maybe an empty corner...why was Hyoga thinking this way? He knew that all of this was wrong. It was just his head filled with sadness. But Hyoga couldn't imagine his life without Shun. He couldn't imagine his light extinguished. He had always run to Shun when he was upset. Now, that was gone. He wanted to be gone too. He didn't deserve to go back, not alone._

_Hyoga began to wonder if he would chance walking into the clearing to try and grab Shun, but he heard a growl. It was a Werewolf, and a large one too. It had noticed his scent. Hyoga didn't have to be able to tell what it was saying to know that it wanted him gone. Fear overtook him again, and he ran into the forest. He was praying that the creature wouldn't follow him, crashing into the undergrowth. It took him several long minutes of running to realize that it wasn't following him. He paused and looked back the way he came, but had no clue how to get back to where he had been._

_He heard a twig snap, and even that seemed muffled under the creature's strange tread. He froze, wondering if the Werewolf had followed him after all. But then she stepped out where he could see her. It was the female Vampire from before, with long, waist length blonde hair, and deep sea green eyes. Hyoga took a step away from her, but she knelled down and grabbed his wrist before he could move away. The young boy trembled under her gaze._

"_Hmm..." She said. "You don't seem to be injured. That's good. I was worried for a minute. I thought you might have gotten stuck in that battle. That would have been bad for you little one."_

"_W-who are you?" Hyoga asked before he could stop himself._

"_My name is Sarah." the Vampire said. She was obviously an English speaking Vampire, but she spoke flawless Japanese. "I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help you." Hyoga remained quiet, still trembling and expecting some trick from the Vampire. She frowned a little. "This is all Humans see isn't it? They see that we're cold blooded killers."_

"_Wasn't it your battle that killed all those people?" Hyoga asked a little angrily. "That killed..." he couldn't finish the sentence. It trailed off and he felt tears threatening again._

"_Oh no..." She said. "Did someone you know get mixed up in that?" Hyoga didn't answer. He couldn't. It seemed too outrageous for a Vampire to be pitying him. Sarah watched him sadly for a moment. "It was the green haired boy, wasn't it?"_

"_Was he dead?" Hyoga couldn't help but ask._

"_I pray so. If he wasn't, he's in for a rough time. Werewolves are not patient creatures, and they love to kill the young of Humans especially. And they aren't fond of Humans at all. They're beasts. There's nothing Human about them. They'll kill him in the most horrible ways they can if he's still alive. That Werewolf took him. That's why we have these battles. We're trying to protect the Humans that live here, because Werewolves will attack anything that they think has invaded their territory. Though, unfortunately, we're beasts too. When we get into a battle we lose control of ourselves. We leave the bodies though. We know how fond Humans are of burying their dead. But the Werewolves take dead bodies...they really are disgusting creatures..." Hyoga began to sob quietly. He didn't want to believe her, but at the same time he felt like it was true. The boy was in pain and didn't know what to do._

"_Then why are you here?" Hyoga asked. "Didn't the Werewolves win?"_

"_I was looking for survivors." She said. "There usually aren't any, but I have to try to help if I can. I'm sorry I couldn't save your friend. But that Werewolf was simply too big for me to fight on my own." She watched the boy crying for a moment. She hated to see Humans cry. She gently wrapped him into a hug that he was too distressed to fight. "I'm sorry. But everything will work out in the end. Fate seems strange that way. But now you have to come with me. I can't leave you here to let the Werewolves eat you. You're too cute for that."_

_Hyoga wanted to hate her. How could she say that anything would be OK after what he did? How could fate or time fix the hole that had opened in his heart? There was a place in his heart when Shun had managed to crawl inside, and now he was gone. How could anything ever be right again when he had betrayed the one person he had come to love..._

_Yes, he realized. He had loved Shun. They were just alike, and even though they were only still children, Hyoga had fallen for the small boy. But he had betrayed him. His last image of the boy was of him crying and scared, all alone. Hyoga didn't want to ever fall in love again. He couldn't bear the pain of losing them...or of knowing that he hurt them..._

* * *

Hyoga awoke with a start, tears in his eyes again. He had tried to forget that night, tried so many times...but he couldn't. He couldn't forget the pain. But he was glad for that in a way. It reminded him why he remained so distant from everyone. He couldn't stand to think of Shun. He couldn't stand to think of the one thing he had lost. He couldn't stand to think of how he had hurt Shun, and would never be able to make it up to him. He couldn't stand that he had made him cry. Hyoga hated love now. He saw it everywhere, and he couldn't stand it. Because he had lost it.

Hyoga sat up and looked out the window. This large mansion was the home to a large clan of Vampires. And he lived with them along with several other Humans. The Vampires really were kind, and they kept their instinct to drink blood in check. They mostly drank animal blood, but every now and then they would have to drink Human blood. Hyoga winced a little as he touched the fresh pierce mark on his neck. Sarah had fed off of him last night. She had been gentle, but it still hurt. It was impossible to make it not hurt. Her fangs were simply too sharp for that. But he trusted her. She had raised him for nine years here, and she was always fairly gentle with him. She never hurt him badly. She was like an older sister to him, though he knew they weren't really related in any way. She was actually over two hundred years old. He must seem like an insect to her.

He thought of his family suddenly. He couldn't imagine what they would be like after all this time. Or Shun's family either. He couldn't imagine their friends, giant Geki, gentle Javu, strange little Ichi, or even Nachi. He wondered if they even remembered him at all. They had been friends, but they had resented him as children as much as Ikki, Seiya or Shiryu. He sighed. He was letting himself get caught up in the past again. He couldn't believe how sentimental he had become here lately. It must be that dream...well either way he couldn't afford it. Only a few Vampires were here, and the rest were all out hunting and patrolling the area. They had won the last battle against the Werewolves, and they were in better spirits for that.

But they were also deeply troubled. The Werewolves weren't really fighting hard this time. It was like they weren't really interested in fighting for territory. But Werewolves always wanted to fight. It was strange. There could only be two explanations: they had either moved their pack, or they had sensed something big changing in the world that had made them nervous. The second seemed like the best choice of the two, because they had still seen the Werewolves in their same old cave. Vampires were intelligent creatures, but their senses couldn't compare to the Wolves'. They could sense danger coming from much farther away than Vampires could, sometimes even as far away as a week's journey. The Wolves were nervous, and it made the Vampires nervous too. They might have been enemies with the Wolves, but they weren't so embittered that they couldn't see when the Wolves knew something was coming.

Hyoga wished that just once they could talk to the Werewolves and find out what was wrong, if the Werewolves even knew. But they couldn't speak to them, and the Vampires would let no one near them. It's like they were terrified of them. Which may have very well been the case. Vampires didn't like Werewolves at all. It was kind of inherited through the "generations" of Vampires. Hyoga was glad that they had let him remain Human. He didn't think he would like to live for centuries, unable to escape from his past. It was already bad enough with the one life he had. He looked out towards the forest. The sun was up now. Most of the Vampires would be asleep and trying to recover from the wounds that they had received in last week's battle.

Hyoga paused a moment however, because he had noticed movement at the forest's edge. A young man stepped out, followed by four others. Hyoga felt the breath leave his lungs. Not only did he recognize them as Undead Hunters, but he also recognized them on a personal level. The first one was a tall and strong looking young man with long, waist length black hair. A bandage was over his eyes, but Hyoga knew they were blue. It was Shiryu. Next was a large bear of a man filled with muscle. His hair was black but had almost a purple tint to it. His eyes were dark brown. This was Geki. Next was a shorter young man, also well muscled. He had short brown hair and green eyes. This was Javu. Next was an even shorter young man with dark black eyes and hair that seemed like it was a pure white Mohawk. It didn't surprise him, looking at him. It was Ichi. Last there was a young man who was taller than Ichi but shorter than Javu. He had dark black hair that was cut short, and dark black eyes. His name was Nachi.

Hyoga felt a mixture of happiness and dread. He had changed over the years, growing strong and fit under the care of the Vampires. He had a well muscled physique. His hair was still stark blonde and was cut to rest on his shoulders. And his eyes were icy blue, like the tundra. They were probably the sole reason he was called Hyoga by his mother. He had changed so much, he wondered if they would even recognize him. Then, despite himself, he turned and ran down the hallway into the main hall. Several Vampires had already gathered.

"What should we do?" one asked.

"Don't attack." another said. "They're only young ones."

"I know them." Hyoga said. "Let me go out to them." all of the Vampires turned to look at him. They seemed a little sad. Then one of them stepped forward.

"Then you should go talk to them." he said. "I'll lead them into the forest and tell them to wait there. Then you can go talk to them alone."

"Alright." Hyoga said, agreeing though he really didn't want to.

"Follow at a distance." The Vampire told him. "And be careful."

The Vampire turned and disappeared out of the door. Hyoga watched him approach the Undead Hunters carefully, and say something to him. While they were distracted, Hyoga carefully slipped out and followed. The Vampire disappeared into the forest, and nervously, his old friends followed. He kept at a careful distance from all of them, and then at last paused behind a tree. They were waiting as instructed in a small clearing. The Vampire stopped by him.

"Good luck." he said. "Find out what they want."

He left Hyoga alone then. It made him slightly uncomfortable. He didn't really want to see them. He didn't want to find out what they really thought after all of this time. It might hurt him more than what he thought now. He remained where he was. The Undead Hunters waited in the clearing nervously. Hyoga barely shifted his weight, and Shiryu whirled around to face him suddenly.

"Come out here!" he demanded. "I heard you! Come out and speak with us!"

"Always such a loud mouth." Hyoga sighed aloud without meaning to. "You may have lost your eyes, but that hasn't changed. None of you have really changed that much." they all paused and looked towards the sound of his voice. They seemed to be trying to not believe something they had given up hope in long ago.

"Who are you?" Javu asked.

"You know about us, or claim to..." Nachi said.

"But you live with Vampires?" Ichi asked uncomfortably.

"Could you be..." Geki said. They all paused uncertainly, and Hyoga sighed. Then, he stepped out where they could see him. There was a collective gasp from the group, all except Shiryu, who was waiting patiently.

"H-hyoga?" Geki gasped.

"Long time no see." Hyoga replied with a roguish smile. He had always used to give them that look. He only did it now because he was nervous about seeing them. "How's life been treating you?"

"U-uh," Javu suddenly asked. "are you...?"

"Human?" Hyoga asked. "Yes. The clan here doesn't turn people if they can help it."

"And you've been here for nine years?" Geki suddenly growled. "Why didn't you come home?"

"Have you ever tried to escape from Vampires?" Hyoga asked. "They're good people, but they're a little overprotective."

There was an awkward silence for a moment. No one seemed to know how to continue. Hyoga seemed even more icy than he had when they were children, much more distant. And they couldn't blame him. They had never been very nice to the poor boy, but they were glad to see him. Hyoga was also wondering about how their lives had been without him. He didn't know how Shiryu had lost his eyes, and the thought saddened him. But Shiryu hardly seemed to need them. At last, Shiryu sighed.

"So you've been here for nine years?" He asked. "Have you seen Shun?"

"Last time I saw him I was pretty sure he was dead." Hyoga said sadly. "After that I don't know much except that a Werewolf found him."

"We've heard that he might be alive somewhere." Shiryu said kindly.

"From what I know of Werewolves," Hyoga sighed. "I'd almost pray that he wasn't. Werewolves don't help Humans. And you don't want to know what they really do."

Again, there was an uncomfortable silence. They all knew that what Hyoga had said was right. They knew of Werewolves too, and they had seen how barbaric they were. They shuddered, trying to imagine what they did to Humans but unable too. It seemed too horrible to imagine. It also seemed too impossible that sweet little Shun would have survived all of those nine years with Werewolves. They knew that sometimes Vampires helped Humans when they could remember the Human part of themselves, but Werewolves? No, that never happened.

"But why are you here?" Hyoga asked. "Undead Hunters never just come to Vampires' lairs without wanting something. Especially not to just talk."

"You got us." Nachi sighed. "We're in trouble Hyoga, Humans, Vampires and Werewolves."

"Really?" Hyoga asked.

"There's someone using dark magic to hurt all three races." Ichi said.

"Right." Javu added. "And the Council that runs the Undead Hunters want us to form an alliance with Vampires and Werewolves to fight this person."

"If we don't, we'll all likely end up dead." Geki said.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Hyoga said. "but who in their right minds would think a clan of Vampires would trust a group of five Undead Hunters?"

"Do you trust us?" Shiryu asked.

"I do."

"Then convince them for us." Shiryu said. "We need their help. We need your help. You're one of the few people that know how a Vampire will act."

"You still don't have anyone to talk to Werewolves." Hyoga sighed. "I say it's impossible. But...I'll talk to them for you."

"Thank you Hyoga." Shiryu said, smiling a little. "We're glad to see that you're alright after all of these years. Everyone will be so relieved to hear it."

"Everyone who?" Hyoga asked.

"All of our friends." Shiryu said. "You remember them: Shaina, Saori, Aphrodite, June...everybody. The whole town's become a beehive of Undead Hunters, so much so that they put a base there."

"I don't know how the Vampires will like that..." Hyoga said.

"And Ikki and Seiya went to see if they could find Shun." Geki said. "So don't worry. Help us out, and we'll help you."

Hyoga watched them all a moment, his face impassive. It seemed impossible. Here were some of his friends, who had been worried about him for nine years. He had thought that they would not mourn him, but it seemed he was wrong. And they said that Shun might be alive. That suddenly gave him a new purpose. He wanted desperately to protect the boy now. Everything did seem to be turning alright. Perhaps Sarah had been right, and fate did play a strange game. He seemed to be caught in the middle of it. He gave them a rare smile.

"Alright then. Follow me." Hyoga said.

**So there's chapter two. Things are going to get more interesting from now on, and there will be a lot of confusion and tearful reunions. Nice combination don't you think? **

**I hoped you enjoyed and will continue to support me!**


	3. Angels and Demons

**OK, I left this fan fiction alone for one day and look at all of the reviews! I'm going to give a few shout outs and answer a few questions. Thanks to bronze andromeda shun  and KaizerDragoon for reading all of my stories! I appreciate how many times you've both commented and you give me words of encouragement. To LoveShun, thank you. You've commented on a few stories so far. As for whether or not Hades will be involved, you'll have to wait and see. I don't want to give too much away, but yes, he does have a pretty major role, though not in the way you might expect. To TreeOfSorrow, thank you for reading my stories and liking them even if you don't comment every time. To Pisces fan, yes, Aphrodite will be involved too at some point. And to queen of beyblade who I gave my first shout out to, I was thinking about having Camus as a relative to Hyoga, but you'll have to wait and see.**

**In this Chapter everyone starts to make their way back together after nine years. And, the tension between the Vampires and Werewolves might just become a little too much to handle until something much bigger happens. So I hope you enjoy the Chapter and will continue to support me!**

Chapter Three: Angels and Demons

Shun felt as if his heart was going to fly into his throat and out onto the ground where everyone could see. Not only had he suddenly come across his old friend and brother, but now he had to go home and face everyone there. He didn't know if he could handle that. But it was inevitable now. But as worried as he was to have all of his friends and family see him again after they had thought he was dead for so long, he was also worried about Sakura and Kakashi behind him. They were snarling at the two Undead Hunters, and the whole pack was agitated. But they knew that this was in their best interest. They had to work with these people or there would be no hope for their pack. Shun had also convinced him that even though he was still a pup in their pack, he was a young adult in the human world, and humans would panic to see them carrying him around like a young pup. They wouldn't understand. So they left him alone and let him walk.

But Shun also hunted with them. And he wasn't fast enough to keep up with the Werewolves at a dead run, and he didn't have their fangs or claws. So he relied on a bow and a set of arrows as well as two small blades. He was deadly fast and his arms were strong for such a small young man. He also wore a painted mask in the shape of a wolf's face, with a dark black mane of wolf's fur running down from the back of the mask, making him look like a wolf. But to keep up with the Werewolves, he rode one. He was a dark brown and had dark black eyes. His name was Kiba, and he was a very small Werewolf. But like Shun, he was strong and fast. Shun could easily ride him with nothing to hold onto but fur and his legs. Usually, Kiba was never allowed to run at the front of the pack, but Seiya and Ikki were riding two large horses trained for warfare, and the Werewolves were following them as close as they could. So Shun was riding on Kiba's back in between Sakura and Kakashi.

Kiba was excited. Shun could feel it between his legs as he ran. The Werewolf was quivering with excitement. He was a lesser Werewolf on the hierarchy, but now he was higher since Shun had chosen him to carry him. Like all of the Werewolves, Kiba was extraordinarily protective of Shun, and he was proud to have been chosen and to be responsible for Shun. He had to make sure that he did a good job. Not only was he going to have to fight with Shun on his back, but he would have to make sure that Shun wouldn't get hurt too badly. Getting hurt on the battle field was unavoidable, but he couldn't let him get hurt so bad that he would die. He would give his own life to make sure that didn't happen.

Ikki and Seiya watched Shun nervously as they rode on. They knew that Shun was very good with Werewolves, he was almost completely at home with them. But they knew he was their only hope on getting help from the Werewolves. And they needed help from all of the races. They would just have to make due.

"Shun." Ikki called. "We're almost back to the town. Are you ready for this?"

"No." Shun laughed nervously. "But it's something we have to do. Let's go."

"_What is it?" _Sakura asked from beside him. _"What did he say?"_

"_He said we're almost to my hometown. You remember it. You found me in the forest outside of the town." _Shun replied.

"_Yes I remember." _Sakura said with a loving growl. _"You were so cute back then."_

"_And you haven't gotten much bigger than when she brought you home." _Kakashi chuckled.

"_For humans, I've gotten much bigger and you know it." _Shun told them a little irritably. _"It's not my fault that I was born so small. That's just the way it is. Even Kiba, with as small as he is, is much bigger than me. He's the size of a horse. That's small for Werewolves, but to humans it's still scary. The two of you are really going to scare them."_

"_Then you'll have to convince them that it will be alright." _Kakashi told him. _"We won't hurt them, but they have to know that. They think we're beasts. They don't understand us, and that frightens them. But I have long held a hope in my heart."_

"_What hope is that Father?" _Shun asked.

"_Long ago, my Father dreamed of uniting all of the races under one banner of peace."_ Kakashi replied. _"He hated all of this constant fighting, all of these wars. He wanted there to be a group of humans, werewolves, and vampires that would live in peace. Then we wouldn't have to worry about humans or vampires entering our territory. We wouldn't have to worry about caring for young, like you, who were misplaced from their own pack. I have that same hope too. I wish that someday, all races could live as one. We could live in peace. Perhaps this ordeal will teach us that it's possible. Or perhaps we'll simply all be obliterated and there will be no need for peace after all. Only time can _

_tell."_

"_I'd like to think that all of that could one day be possible too." _Shun said. _"But then I think about the fear in my town, and I wonder if it could ever be achieved."_

"_We'll have to try my little one." _Sakura said gently. _"We'll have to try. And now's a good time to start. I know it seems impossible. Even I've given up the hope. But we'll have to try."_

"_Humans up ahead." _Kiba said, drawing all of their attention. He had good instincts, highly tuned even for a werewolf. Then he caught another scent and his upper lip pulled up into a snarl as he growled. _"And barbarians. I can smell their stench from here."_

"_Easy Kiba." _Shun told him. _"You'll have to bear with it. There are vampires coming to this meeting too. We can't fight them."_

"_I know, I know." _Kiba replied, snapping his jaws in irritation at the vampires rather than Shun. _"I just can't forget everything that's happened between us. If they try to hurt you though, I'm tearing them to shreds."_

"_Easy." _Shun repeated. _"Easy."_

Ikki and Seiya listened to their mostly silent conversation, uncomprehending. They couldn't fathom how Shun could learn to understand all of those sounds and signals. They were also still confused how the gentle boy had survived so long. It seemed impossible. Werewolves were very war like creatures, at least in their eyes. The boy had been terrified of blood, and Werewolves seemed to hate human weakness. And yet there he was, still beautiful, still oddly innocent, and still very much alive. They were glad to see him, but they were also a little nervous of him. He could talk to werewolves. That wasn't a normal ability. But thinking of that made them hate themselves a little more. They knew that Shun had always had a strange ability with werewolves. So it made sense. Besides, it was their fault that he had gotten into this mess. It was their fault that he was so different. They hated themselves, though the pain had finally disappeared. They were glad that he was alright. They both looked up. They were getting close to the town.

"We'll be entering soon Shun." Ikki called.

"Make sure those werewolves don't attack anyone." Seiya added.

"That's alright." Shun replied. "They know not to. They understand everything that's going on. But I'd keep an eye on the vampires. If the werewolves don't like what they do, we might have a brawl on our hands."

"Vampires?" Ikki asked.

"They've beat us here." Shun explained. "Kiba nosed them a while ago."

"Kiba?" Seiya asked, perplexed. "So the werewolves have names?"

"They've got names just like you and me." Shun said, smiling a little in amusement. "They may lead different lives than us, but they're not dumb beasts. They're not really that different from us actually. They're really sweet, if you get to know them."

"I've been hunting their kind for years." Ikki replied, shaking his head. "They all seem like beasts to me."

"Yeah," Seiya said. "they kill humans without mercy."

"Humans kill them without mercy too." Shun said. The two Undead Hunters paused to listen to him. "They're scared. They fight to defend themselves. Yeah, they get into battles a lot, but it's for territory. They want to live as much as us."

"How can we exist in the same world though?" Ikki asked.

"I don't know." Shun replied. "But they want to. The werewolves are as tired of these constant wars as you are. Maybe, this is the chance we all needed to work together."

"You talk like you're one of them." Seiya said nervously.

"Maybe I am." Shun replied thoughtfully. "Who knows? I've been with them for so long, it's hard for me to remember what it's like to be human."

"You talk about how wonderful they are." Ikki said. "What are they really like when no one's looking?"

"It's strange, not much different than you." Shun said with a smile. "They live in a giant community, and they love one another. They always look after each other, and especially the pups. They tell stories and they sing their songs. They live and die just like us. Only they don't bury their dead. They don't have hands, and while they could dig holes with those claws, they don't. You see, they believe that everything is interconnected. We get energy from the food we eat, and so one day that energy must return to the earth. Everything we have is only borrowed. So when they die, they leave the bodies out to rot, so that other creatures could borrow their energy, and so that they could return what's left back to the earth. They believe in god of course, but not like we do. I think it's kind of beautiful. Just think about it. Even after we die, we aren't really ever forgotten. The earth knows our touch. It knows our passing too. We help the cycle to continue, on and on, until the earth finally grows tired and stops turning."

"I've never really thought about it..." Seiya said. "But in a way it does make sense."

"You've sure learned a lot from them." Ikki said, watching Shun's mask.

"I guess." Shun replied, shrugging. "But I've still got a long way to go in their teachings."

"I don't know." Seiya said, finally managing to laugh a little. "They seem to like you. They let you ride them, and they let you touch them."

"That's nothing special." Shun replied. "When you can get over the prejudices of your races, many things are possible."

"We're here." Ikki said.

Everything fell silent, except for the panting of the horses and the werewolves behind them. Kiba shuddered in anticipation, and Shun patted his side gently to calm him. Kiba snarled nervously, but didn't dare try anything. He was duty bound to listen to Shun, and he didn't want to be scolded by the Alphas for ignoring his commands. The town was much the same as Shun remembered it, only much bigger, and full of more activity. Also, a large cathedral stood in the middle of the town, no doubt the base for the Undead Hunters. The werewolves pulled up in distaste.

The vampires had beaten them here. That was for sure. But they had made the townspeople nervous. This clan of vampires was enormous, nearly the size of the pack. And there were humans with them too. Shun's eyes scanned the crowd and he sucked in a breath when he saw him. It was Hyoga. He was older now, more muscled, and his eyes seemed sadder. But he was handsome, oddly so. Shun could tell by just looking at him that he was still human. Shun felt his heart skip a beat when he saw him. He understood what he was feeling now, though with it he suddenly felt a wave of shyness hit him too. He loved Hyoga. No matter what had been said in the past, he still loved Hyoga. But he was also painfully aware of the different lives that they had lived up to this point. There was no way that Hyoga would accept him. He knew it the instant he saw his icy eyes. So he'd just have to harden his heart too. He wouldn't let himself break if Hyoga was cold to him. Shun was more werewolf than human, even if he had to prove it to all of them.

Hyoga was talking quietly to his mother and father, who didn't seem to know what to do with seeing their son. They were glad to see him, but also very scared of the vampires behind him. That created a deep confusion in their eyes. Shun wondered how much worse his reunion with everyone would be. He was a freak. He was a freak that could talk to werewolves, and that's all they would see him as. It hurt to think about, but he knew it was true. They would hate him. He knew he had to harden his heart against them. He had already done it to Seiya and Ikki. They didn't treat him like they had. They were scared of him, and his strange talent. But he knew it was the best way. They'd always fear him. He would have feared him. But this was all pointless to think about.

A woman screamed. She had just caught sight of Sakura and Kakashi, easily ignoring Kiba and Shun because of how small they were compared to the Alpha pair. The werewolves all snarled in agitation at the sound. The vampires tensed in case the werewolves should attack, and Hyoga nervously watched them as well. But Shun knew that if anything was going to get done, he would have to calm the people first.

"_Kiba."_ Shun said. _"Go to the front. We have to calm everyone down before a battle starts."_

Kiba instantly leaped forward to obey, slightly hurt that the boy thought that he couldn't read what he was thinking. He knew in basic what Shun had been thinking. He had been around the boy long enough for that. He knew his command before he had given it to him.

"_I knew." _Kiba said simply. _"And I would have done it."_

"_I know. Forgive me. I'm just nervous."_ Shun replied.

The small brown werewolf jumped into the center of the town square, and dead silence followed. No one knew what to expect. But the Undead Hunters and the Vampires were especially surprised to see that the small wolf was carrying a human on its back. Kiba snarled at the vampires uncertainly, but Shun again patted his side, and his snarl somewhat disappeared. No one dared to move, but at least now it was silent. Shun remained poised on Kiba's back. The boy was suddenly unsure of what to say. Did he have it in his heart to remain so cold to everyone? The scene of the boy on the werewolf's back was magnificent, and yet at the same time challenging and threatening. It seemed as if they were about to jump into a battle. But at last, Hyoga's father stepped forward. He felt like he recognized the boy.

"Who are you?" he asked. "What do you want?"

"Relax." Shun replied. "We're not you're enemies."

"We're?" A vampire asked. "You're with them? With the _werewolves_?"

"I am." Shun replied. An uneasy murmuring swept through the crowd. "Our pack is at least 1000 strong, full of powerful warriors. But today you don't need to worry about our teeth or claws. We're not going to hurt you. We heard of the strange summons, and our pack has come to meet it."

"And you, you speak for them?" a woman asked. "I don't believe it. Why would werewolves come for you?"

"Because there is no one else to speak for them, or for you to them." Shun replied. There was silence for a moment.

"You speak their language?" Hyoga asked. Shun forced himself to not cry. He didn't like talking to Hyoga as if he hardly mattered.

"I do." Shun replied simply. "And I run with their pack. I have for several years, since I was young and left to die by all three races present here. They adopted me, and I now belong to their pack."

"Who are you?" Hyoga's father asked again.

"You know my name." Shun replied. "And you know my face. But you no longer know me."

With that strange reply, he reached up, taking his mask in his hands. His friends were in the crowd: Seiya, Ikki, Nachi, Ichi, Geki, Shiryu, Hyoga, Saori, June, Aphrodite, the list went on and on. Or he supposed, they weren't his friends now. They wouldn't understand what they were about to see. They wouldn't be able to accept it, or to accept him ever. It was a sad feeling. Shun paused a moment, feeling the weight of the sadness crushing him for a moment. He didn't want them to see. He didn't want them to see how he'd changed. But then he steeled himself and his face and removed the mask quickly before he could change his mind. He shook his head a little, freeing his hair from the wolf fur cover.

Everyone from the village gasped. He was beautiful, the most beautiful creature they had ever seen. He had weapons at his side, which confused his friends. They knew what he had been like before, and seeing him with such tools felt wrong. But they also felt that it was wrong for him to be perched on the back of one of the creatures that he had always feared the most. Then he looked at them, and his gaze made them freeze. His eyes were like the werewolf's beneath him: full of hunger, full of pain, full of a desire to understand, and yet full of anger too. Shun had changed. He no longer seemed human. He was more werewolf than human.

"Shun?" Hyoga asked.

"Glad to see you still remember me at least." Shun replied. The words weren't angry, but they stung Hyoga's heart all the same, and he couldn't keep the pain off of his face. Only Shun's years of training under the werewolves kept him from wincing at the emotions in everyone's eyes. Kiba growled quietly as he sensed Shun's distress.

"You've been with the werewolves for all this time?" Saori asked. She was a beautiful young woman with long purple hair and blue eyes. She had always picked on Shun when he was younger, but after she had thought he was dead she had felt horrible about it. Now she wasn't sure how to respond when his eyes turned to her and he nodded.

The vampires shifted nervously as they watched this youth, so strangely at home with the creatures that they themselves had always thought incapable of ever helping humans. This boy however, was proof that werewolves had some kind of human emotions in them. They weren't dumb beasts. They also noticed that Shun never looked directly at anyone. It was as if he was looking through them. The werewolves they noticed, were doing it to. They never looked directly at someone. The reason, though no one else knew it, was because even in the wolf's hierarchy every wolf was treated with respect. They all belonged to the same world, and though some were needed to guide the wolves, everyone of them was important. That's why they didn't look at each other. They were respecting each other by submissively looking away.

Then they all noticed a young man walking up. He was human, but he could have been a vampire. He was tall and pale, extremely large for his age. He had broad shoulders and walked with a kingly grace. His hair was long and jet black, and his eyes were blue. The Undead Hunters all bowed to him in respect, and the vampires and werewolves all turned their eyes to him. He stopped in front of Shun and gave him a little bow.

"I know little of the ruling of werewolves, but I know that any who rides one deserves respect." He said. "I hope they approve." then he turned to address everyone. "I know that years of hatred have kept our races apart, and a few days peace will not ease the bitter wounds that you all bear from one another. But perhaps we can learn from one another. Tonight, you'll rest in peace, all of you. Tomorrow, you'll all learn of the danger that faces us, and of the plans we must make." Shun turned and relayed his words to the Werewolves. Kakashi snarled and stepped forward.

"_And why must we wait?" _He growled. _"There is no time. We have sensed this evil, and it grows closer day by day. Do you seriously expect me to sit here and do nothing while my pack is in danger?" _Shun turned and relayed the words to the stranger.

"I understand your concern." the man assured him. "We all have families, of different kinds to worry about. But starting now will only escalate matters, and if a fight breaks out we won't be able to stop it. We must remain calm." Shun turned to the werewolf again and told him what was said.

"_Fine."_ Kakashi said with a snarl. _"I relent. Tell him so. We're leaving. Shun, I don't care where you go, as long as Kiba is with you to make sure you're safe. I'm going to settle the pack down for the night and then I'm going to talk with your mother."_

"He understands." Shun replied. "And he's going to rest the pack." The werewolves turned to leave, and as they did so, Shun slipped his mask back on, glad to hide his face. The man watched him sadly for a moment.

"It's a terrible punishment, for one as young as you." he said. "Especially for a child with no crimes. You're not a cold person. I know that, I met you long ago, and you just don't seem that way to me. You're running from us, from humans. And I can understand why. You can't let yourself get close to us. And just look at the way we treat you. Humans fear what they can't understand. And we can't hear the werewolves talk or imagine why some of them grow so big, so we hate them. And now you fear that we'll hate you, the boy who talks with werewolves."

"Fear and hate." Shun said bitterly. "That's all this world seems to offer."

"But no one knows about werewolves." the man said. "Except you."

"What do you mean?" Ikki asked. Everyone was watching him now.

"Werewolves were originally much like us." he replied. "They lived among us, no larger than dogs. They could speak our language, and us theirs. I don't know where the absurd idea that werewolves are humans that change into wolves came from, but it isn't true. You had to be born a werewolf. Werewolves and humans used to get along great. Like vampires, they could become beasts, but they helped humans and often protected them. Vampires, as you know, still have human hearts. Well werewolves did too. But one day, that all changed. No one's really sure what happened, but a single human altered our bond with werewolves forever. They turned on him, trying to protect themselves from whatever he did, and the humans were scared. They attacked the werewolves." there was silence suddenly. "Yes. It was not evil that made the werewolves into beasts, but humans. Werewolves were gentle creatures, but they were scared. They formed enormous packs, their own hierarchy, because humans had abandoned them. They became beasts that killed humans on sight because years of their fear made them into enormous warriors to protect themselves. But still, they're strangely curious of humans. They'll still approach humans and vampires, trying to understand."

"The need in their eyes." a male vampire said quietly. "I've seen it many times. I've seen them hesitate on the battlefield for a moment, watching. I've seen them let a vampire live that they could have killed. I still don't understand it. But if what you say is true, then it grieves me to think of all of the anger and fear they must still hold against anything that even looks human."

"That's what confuses me." the man said, looking at Shun. "I don't know why they would adopt a young human. It doesn't make sense. They hate us."

"No." Shun said, gaining everyone's attention in the silence. "We do not hate you, though we do fear you. We live our lives in the shadows, hunters and stalkers."

"But how long has it been since they stepped into the light?" the man asked. "I suppose we haven't let you, have we? What pain could make you rather call yourself one of them than one of us?"

"One no one can fix." Shun said. "I've grown to know a different mankind. He is wasteful. He is ignorant to the cries of the trees or the animals that he destroys. He is evil. He doesn't even care that every single thing in this earth has a life and isn't just something to be controlled. He's oblivious. He can't hear or scent anything. Even I can tell that the earth shudders when humans are near. We live in the forest, constantly surrounded by it's untamed beauty. We live surrounded by life. But you live surrounded by death. Many humans have tried to kill me just for being near werewolves. I had to learn to move as swiftly as the river and strike like a snake. I long ago had to sever my ties with mankind because he severed his with me. At least the wolves treated me like I was worth something, not just some little lost mutt."

"And you're bitter." the man said. "I know you are Shun. I can understand your pain, even if only a little. But if anything is going to get better, you're going to teach us what you know. You're going to have to show us the gentler side of the werewolf again, even if only for a moment."

Shun felt everyone's eyes on him. And he couldn't stand it. He hated the way he looked at him. He hated how they looked _at _him and not through him. He felt like they could see into his soul, and see how hurt he was. He especially hated his friends looking at him like this. He hated that they had to see him, his weakness, how he had changed. Hyoga was starring at him sadly, and hurt. He couldn't understand why Shun had changed so much. He couldn't understand why Shun was so hurt, and he wanted to help him. Shun knew it. He could feel it. But Shun didn't want help, especially not from him. He wasn't bitter at any of them. He didn't have it in his heart. His words sounded bitter, but he wasn't bitter anymore. He was deeply confused, and these biting words were the only way he knew how to convey that confusion to them.

"How can I teach you anything, when you refuse to learn." Shun asked. "How many times we've tried to tell you that we wouldn't hurt you! And yet you still attacked us. We used to think that peace would be possible, but we've lost that hope."

"It's still possible." the man said.

"Tell that to the creatures that every other race has destroyed." Shun said. There was silence.

"You have to give us a chance." Saori said. "This time, it'll be different."

"If there's only one thing I know about humans, vampires, and werewolves, it's that nothing is ever different." Shun replied. Then Kiba understood that he wanted to leave. He turned and bounded away through the crowd, disappearing again into the slowly setting darkness. There was silence as everyone watched after Shun. Many years of hatred hung in between them, years that he felt more than they did. But they all felt at least a little guilty. He had always been such a sweet boy.

Shun felt himself burning with shame. He couldn't believe that he had let all of that slip out, all of the emotions that he had bottled up for so long. He couldn't stand that he had to be so distant, so bitter sounding. But Shun realized that a few years ago, he had been that way. He wasn't now, but he didn't know how else to act. He was scared, and they would never accept him. He was a freak. Nothing could ever be the same. But though when he was younger he would have cried, no tears came to his eyes now. They had all dried up and been replaced by sadness, a deep cutting sadness.

Kiba ran right into the forest. They were both most comfortable here, where the sights of the human settlement were at least hidden now. Here, they could hear the earth laughing as they passed, glad to feel their wild presence instead of "civilized" feet for once. The deer exploded back into the undergrowth, hiding from the predators. But at least here, everything was calmer. Kiba at last stopped, underneath the bows of a large and ancient oak. He slid to the ground and lay down, letting Shun slide off and lean his back against his side to think. He panted as reassuringly as he could at the boy, but said nothing. He knew he'd want to be alone with his thoughts.

Shun sat there, thinking over many things sadly. He missed his past life and everyone he knew. But he was also sad about what he had said, and how they had parted. Nothing could ever be the same again. He knew that. But he wished that he wasn't so alone. He hated to be so distant from the people he loved. He hated to make them confused and hurt. But he couldn't bring himself to smile for them again. Then he heard a sound behind him. But when he looked, he saw a roguish smile. It was Hyoga.

"Go away." Shun said, though there was no force behind his words.

"You don't mean that." Hyoga said. "You might have meant some of those other things, but you don't mean that."

Kiba watched Shun and the stranger quietly. But though he didn't like the scent of vampires on this guy, he could tell that Shun was fond of the boy, even if years had passed. Hyoga sat down next Shun, though he was careful not to touch the werewolf. Kiba silently watched them. Shun flushed suddenly with Hyoga so near. He was really handsome. It made him nervous suddenly. He was glad his mask hid his face. Hyoga was a perfect young man. He wasn't like him. Shun was too pretty, like a woman. And he felt ashamed of the way he looked suddenly. But Hyoga gently reached over and brushed the side of Shun's mask with his finger.

"You're too beautiful to hide your face behind that mask. You should show it more." Hyoga said. "You should be proud. You're a wonderful person."

Shun watched Hyoga's face as the boy watched his eyes through the mask. They glittered, like little stars. That was what his mother had named him after, the twinkle in his eyes. Slowly, Hyoga reached over and pulled the mask gently off of Shun's head, and Shun let him. Kiba watched as Hyoga laid his hand gently on the side of Shun's face. But still, Shun didn't seem to mind the contact. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it, though he was wrestling with his own feelings.

"I thought you were dead." Hyoga said sadly. "I thought you were dead and that it was all my fault. I shouldn't have said any of that. None of us should have. But I saw you, and I thought there was no way you could still be alive. I thought it was my fault...I'm sorry Shun, I'm so sorry..." Shun was a little startled to Hyoga start to cry. Usually, Shun was the one that would always cry, and Hyoga was the one to comfort him. But Shun realized how hurt the boy must have really been. He slowly reached over and brushed the boy's bangs out of his face gently.

"It's OK." Shun said. "Everything's worked out fine. So don't cry. It wasn't your fault. It was more of a stupid choice on my part. And I'm obviously not dead." Hyoga managed to stop crying and looked up into Shun's face.

"I understand how you feel." Hyoga said. "I've always understood. You're afraid that they'll think that you're a freak. But I think they're just glad to see us. They're a little unsettled, but they'll come around. I know that you're scared, but it'll be OK. I'm here with you, and I'm never leaving you again. So let me heal your heart."

"But you need someone to heal your heart too." Shun said.

"I do." Hyoga replied. "That's why I need you with me too."

Hyoga slowly reached over, and gently took Shun's shoulders in his hands, always aware of the werewolf watching him. Slowly, he leaned Shun back, and Shun let him, feeling his own heart beat speed up. Shun's face flushed again, and Hyoga smiled at the boy, thinking of how absolutely cute he was. He laid Shun down on the ground and scooted himself closer. Then, making sure that the werewolf wouldn't bite him, he laid down and laid his head on Shun's chest. The boy's heart was beating quickly. Shun suddenly didn't know what to do. He knew that he had loved Hyoga, but now it seemed like Hyoga loved him too. Hyoga laid there, breathing evenly on Shun's chest and listening to his life coursing through him. He was worried for a moment that he had scared the boy, but Shun gently wrapped his arms around Hyoga, embracing him. Hyoga let another small smile touch his lips.

"I've loved you Shun." Hyoga said. "I always have and I always will. If I can, I'll protect you. I can fight. I've trained with Vampires."

"And I've trained with werewolves." Shun said. "I'm not helpless. And Kiba wouldn't let anything bad happen to me."

"Is that this werewolf's name?" Hyoga asked. He could feel the werewolf's fur brush his arm as he breathed. "He makes me a little nervous."

"Don't worry." Shun said with a small smile. "He can tell that you're a good person. And he won't hurt you because he knows I'd be mad if he did."

"_Shun," _Kiba said. _"who is this boy? Do you know him?"_

"_Yes I know him." _Shun said. _"I've known him for a while. Fate may have separated us, he with vampires and I with werewolves, but we're still close."_

"_Vampires?"_

"_It's the human word for barbarians." _Shun explained. Kiba watched him for a moment.

"_Do you love this boy?" _Kiba asked. Werewolves mated for life. When two werewolves fell in love, whether they were the same gender or not, they never parted. They would always be together until one died. Much like humans, they didn't remarry. This meant that for a young werewolf to say that he loved another, that it was sacred and could never be broken. If Shun said that he loved this boy, he would be as good as a member of the pack himself. And Shun knew this well.

"_I do." _Shun replied. Kiba watched Hyoga for a moment, who was now still as he watched the werewolf nervously. Then Kiba looked back at Shun.

"_His name?"_

"_It's Hyoga. It means ice." _Shun replied.

"What's going on?" Hyoga asked Shun.

"Hush." Shun shushed him. "It's OK. I'm just introducing you." Hyoga was silent a moment. Shun frowned. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do." Hyoga said. "I laid down on your chest up against a werewolf didn't I?" He felt sad suddenly that he had made the boy think that he didn't trust him.

"_Are you sure Shun?" _Kiba asked. _"This is the mate you choose? I don't want you to have to choose another later and be heart broken. I know that humans aren't as loyal as we are. You're sure?"_

"_Of course I am." _Shun replied. _"I've always been sure. I loved him even as a child, and now, no matter who he's been involved with, I know I'll always love him. And he loves me too. He always has loved me. He loved me enough to risk your fangs to be by me. Isn't that proof enough?"_

"_I-I don't know..." _Kiba said. It indeed was good proof. Werewolves loved tests of courage and strength. When it came to love, if a werewolf would bear the fangs of the other's pack to win their affections then they were often allowed to remain together. This boy had lived with vampires for a long time. He knew of the terrible power of werewolves. And yet he had still let himself come into contact with one to be near Shun.

"_Please." _Shun said. _"I need a witness. You know I do. I love him, and I know that he loves me too. I have to be near him Kiba. We've been apart for too long." _Kiba looked into the boy's eyes and felt all of his will power dissipate suddenly. He just didn't have the will to say no anymore.

"_Alright." _Kiba said. _"I am your witness. You're now mated for life."_

Shun smiled at the werewolf, which made him turn his head away. Kiba laid his head down on his paws and closed his eyes, audibly sighing. Hyoga watched the werewolf, confused. But Shun laughed when he saw Hyoga's face. It was a beautiful sound.

"What happened?" Hyoga asked.

"Hyoga," Shun said. "I hope you're ready. You and I are now mated for life."

"We're what?" Hyoga gasped. Shun laughed again.

"It's a werewolf custom." Shun explained. "But it also means that you're a part of the pack now. You'll need to be careful what you do though."

"So," Hyoga said. "if I wanted to ever leave you, which I never will, I'd get mauled by a bunch of werewolves?"

"Well," Shun replied. "that's a blunt way to put it, but yes. But it'll be fine. I'm here to help you. I won't let them hurt you."

"I know you won't." Hyoga said. Then he sighed. "I love you Shun. And I'm fine with just this. It doesn't ever have to go farther. I learned something when I was with the vampires. You don't have to have sex with someone to have an deep relationship with them. It doesn't matter what they look like either. As long as you both love each other, everything will be fine. A lot of people think that the only way to love is to get down and do it. But it's deeper than that. It's on a whole different level. That's what makes love special. It isn't about physical affairs. It's about how much you'd sacrifice, how much you'd do. Just promise me, that you'll always be mine."

"Of course." Shun said. "Just as long as you never leave me."

"Deal." Hyoga chuckled.

He sat up then, looking Shun deep into the eyes. Shun still looked through him, but Hyoga was fine with that. Slowly, he leaned down and kissed the boy, pulling him to his chest. Shun embraced him back, until at last they had to both break apart for air. Hyoga pulled Shun up and sat him in his lap, holding him gently and running one of his hands through the boy's hair. Shun curled up into his lap, nuzzling closer to him. Both boys suddenly felt happier than they had in a long time.

"You know," Hyoga said. "I bet everyone in the town just thinks that we're a couple of angels stuck in a den of demons."

"No." Shun said. "I've never met a demon. Only misunderstood people."

"You're right, as usual." Hyoga said, kissing the boy's forehead. "You see the good in everyone don't you? I guess that just makes us a couple of freaks."

"There's no one else in the world I'd rather be a freak with." Shun said quietly.

Hyoga looked down at the boy, then smiled gently when he saw that he'd fallen asleep. He must have been tired. Soon, things would only get worse. Hyoga knew that. But he was glad to be reunited with Shun at last. He'd promised himself that he'd never fall in love, but he couldn't help it. Shun may have been a warrior, but he was too cute. He seemed like he was helpless, like he needed protection. Perhaps that's why the wolves had really adopted him. In any case, Hyoga was just glad that he had Shun at last. He was in his arms to stay. Hyoga hadn't felt happier.

Hyoga fell asleep soon after. He was exhausted too. He knew that the vampires would be worried about him, but he just couldn't keep his eyes open. He leaned back against Kiba, falling asleep. The werwolf looked up at the two boys. Normally, he wouldn't have allowed the contact. But he was glad. Shun had finally found someone he could share his life with. He had finally found his soul mate again. The boy was happy. He could tell that even with him deep in his dreams. And that made Kiba happy. He was glad that Shun was back with is own kind now. As much as he pretended it, Shun could never be a werewolf. But he was pretty close. Kiba licked Hyoga's face gently, and then Shun's. Then he yawned himself and laid his head down. He wouldn't let anything disturb them, even if he had to wake up and attack it.

**So, what do you guys think? I'm sorry it took so long to update. But here's the chapter. I hope you enjoyed. I though it was cute. And Hyoga and Shun are back together now! Yay! :D**

**This chapter was kind of long, even though a lot happened in it. I know I haven't done shout outs to everyone who's posted comments, but I hope you'll continue to support me. If there's something you think I should add, go ahead and tell me. I'll be happy to see if I can fit it in somewhere. Also, comment below and tell me who you think the mystery man (the one that bowed to Shun and never introduced himself) was. I want to see if my description was enough to go off of. And tell me who you think he is/his significance. It should be interesting to see the posts.**

**Thanks and keep reading!**


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